Getting the Best Seat in a Woven Wrap
This post is part of our International Babywearing Week 2016 series. Today we focus on woven wraps.
Know what size wrap you need for the carry you want to do Having too much or too little fabric to work with can be frustrating or difficult to work with. If you don’t know what size wrap you need, we can help you figure out sizing at a meeting. Create a hammock-like seat Pull a small lip of fabric between you and baby. Make sure the fabric is supporting baby knee to knee. The top rail should come up to the top of the shoulders for a newborn or just below the armpits for an older baby. Baby should be in an M position with knees higher than the bottom. Tighten strand by strand Adjusting one section of fabric at a time makes it easier to tighten and provide appropriate support for baby’s spine. Start with a section a few inches wide and work your way across the width of the wrap. Master front and hip carries before learning back carries This allows you to see what you’re doing as you create a seat and tighten. Mastering these basics before adding the difficulty of adjusting without the visual check will make back carries safer, more secure, and less stressful. Customize your carry Knowing how to use various passes and adjustments can make a carry easier or more comfortable. For instance, using cross passes and reinforcing passes with wiggly babies helps keep the seat locked in place. Using a carry that finishes with a slipknot can make it easier to adjust for a baby that wants to nurse frequently. While we often recommend front wrap cross carry for beginning wrappers, our educators are knowledgeable about a wide variety of carries. We can help find a carry that will meet your specific needs.
